In addition, attendees will be able to enjoy an insect hunt on the paths cut through the restored meadow, or visit with native and honeybee experts who can explain why we need to be less fearful and more respectful of the most important pollinators in our ecosystem.

Learn how insect predators, including both bats and birds, can help control insect pest populations and reduce the use of chemical pesticides. Children will be able to help paint a mural of the newly restored meadow, take a look at red wriggler worms making compost in a simple container that is easy to set up at home, and join in a bee waggle dance used by honeybees to communicate with one another about the location of blooming flowers.

Local environmental agencies will also be on hand with their experts and displays, including Rutgers University Entomology faculty; Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association; Conserve Wildlife, NJ; Mercer County Soil Conservation; Mercer County Mosquito Control; NJ Department of Agriculture Beneficial Insect Rearing Laboratory; Mercer County 4H; and Mercer County Equestrian Center.

Cooperating agencies include Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the county freeholders.

The Master Gardeners of Mercer County is a volunteer educational outreach program of Rutgers Cooperative Extension. For more information on the organizationís educational programs and events, go to www.mgofmc.org.